Peppermint Sugar Cookies
My daughter and I make these peppermint sugar cookies every Christmas, dipping the cooled cookies in a simple powdered sugar glaze and sprinkling them with crushed candy canes. It has become one of our easiest holiday baking traditions. The recipe makes two dozen, which also feels manageable for a weekend bake.
I don’t remember my mother ever baking sugar cookies when I was young, but I’ve grown to love them as an adult. I used to think they always had to be rolled and cut, and I was happy to discover how simple drop sugar cookies are to make. No chilling, no rolling pin, and no fussing with shapes.
This holiday version has the chewy texture of a classic sugar cookie with just enough peppermint to taste festive without veering into toothpaste territory. I add a little light corn syrup to the glaze so it sets firm overnight, and the cookies stay neat and stackable. It makes them easy to package, freeze, or tuck into Christmas tins without sticking together.
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Ingredients For Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Ingredient Notes
- Baking Soda: Make sure it is fresh for proper spread and lift.
- Butter: I use salted butter for all of my recipes. Soften it at room temperature before mixing.
- Candy Canes: Crush them finely so they stick to the glaze and do not fall off once set.
- Corn Syrup (Light): Use light corn syrup to keep the glaze white and smooth.
- Egg: I use large eggs for all of my recipes. Bring it to room temperature for better mixing.
- Milk: I use whole milk for all of my recipes. Add it slowly in tiny amounts to control glaze consistency.
- Peppermint Extract: Use pure peppermint extract, not mint extract, which can taste more like spearmint gum.
- Salt: I use table salt for all of my recipes.
- Sugar (Granulated): White granulated sugar is what gives these cookies their classic chewy texture.
- Sugar (Powdered): Also called icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar. Sift before adding it to the glaze to avoid lumps.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Use the same amount of cake and pastry flour.
- Butter: Swap for the same amount of unsalted butter and add a small pinch of extra salt. You can also use margarine.
- Milk: Use any percentage of milk you like or have on hand. You can also replace it with the same amount of light cream (also called 10% cream, half-and-half, or blend) or plant-based milk.
- Peppermint Extract: Use 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract for a plain sugar cookie flavour.
- Salt: Replace with the same amount of fine sea salt.
- Sugar (Granulated): Use the same weight of caster or superfine sugar, 200 g, measured on a scale.
Recipe Variations
Try any of the following for a twist on this peppermint sugar cookies recipe:
- Chocolate (Chopped): ½ cup (about 85 g) of your favourite chocolate, chopped. Add to the dough with the flour.
- Chocolate (Garnish For Topping): Use 50 to 75 g of any good-quality chocolate you like (white, dark, milk, or semi-sweet). To melt chocolate without seizing, place chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes, or drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cookies and let it set.
- Cocoa Powder: 1 tablespoon sifted in with the flour to make a light chocolate peppermint cookie.
- Colour The Glaze: Add one or two drops of pink or green gel food colouring to the glaze before dipping.
- Edible Glitter (Iridescent): 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons sprinkled on top of the glaze before it sets.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: ⅓ cup (about 60 g) added with the flour.
- Sugar (Sanding): 2 tablespoons sparkly sanding sugar (red, white, or green) sprinkled on the glaze as soon as cookies are dipped.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Peppermint Sugar Cookies
STEP 1: Beat the butter and sugar together until well combined. Scrape down the bowl, then add the egg and peppermint extract.
STEP 2: Mix until the egg and extract are fully incorporated. The mixture should look pale, light, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
STEP 3: Sift in the flour, then add the baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until a clumpy dough forms that clears the sides of the bowl.
STEP 4: Divide the dough into 24 portions and roll each into a smooth ball between your hands. Place 12 dough balls per tray, spaced about 2 inches apart.
STEP 5: Bake the cookies and let them cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
STEP 6: To make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the light corn syrup and salt, then stir in 1 teaspoon of milk. Continue adding milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thick but runs smoothly off the end of a spoon.
STEP 7: Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze. Let the excess drip off, then flip the cookie right side up onto a cooling rack.
STEP 8: Sprinkle immediately with crushed candy canes while the glaze is still wet. Let the cookies set for a few hours until the glaze hardens.
Expert Tips
- If your egg is cold from the fridge, place it in a mug of hot tap water for 5 to 10 minutes to bring it to room temperature.
- I reuse the same piece of parchment paper over multiple baking sessions until it’s completely spent.
- If you’re not using candy cane topping and want a smooth finish on the glaze, use a toothpick to gently pop any bubbles while it’s still wet.
Recipe Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is heating correctly.
- The cookies will be quite puffy when they come out of the oven, however they will deflate and crack. This is normal.
- If the glaze thickens while decorating, stir in a few drops of milk to loosen it.
- Don’t glaze warm cookies or the glaze will just melt.
- I buy crushed candy canes at the bulk store, but you can also place unwrapped candy canes in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- You can spoon or drizzle the icing on top of the cookies instead of dipping the tops.
Storage
- Store glazed cookies in a single layer, or with parchment between layers, in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature or one month in the freezer. You can also freeze unglazed cookies in a sealed container and glaze them after thawing.
Festive Recipes Related To Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Printable Recipe Card
Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Special Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- 2 Baking sheet(s)
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Spoon and shallow bowl
Ingredients
For The Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
For The Glaze
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup, that's 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons
- 1 pinch table salt
- 1 tablespoon whole milk, maybe more, as needed for consistency
- ¼ cup candy canes, crushed, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the egg and peppermint extract, mix well, and scrape down the bowl again.
- Sift in the flour, then add the baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until a clumpy dough forms that clears the sides of the bowl.
- Divide the dough into 24 portions (approximately 24 g each) and roll each into a smooth ball between your hands.
- Place 12 dough balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about two inches apart.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until pale gold on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies have cooled, make the glaze. Sift the icing sugar into a shallow bowl. Add the corn syrup, salt, and 1 teaspoon of milk. Stir well, then continue adding milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thick yet runs smoothly from the end of a spoon without clumping.
- Dip the cooled cookies, top sides down, into the glaze. Let the excess drip off, then return them, right side up, to the rack. Sprinkle immediately with crushed candy canes while the glaze is still wet, then let the cookies set for a few hours until the glaze hardens.
Recipe Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is heating correctly.
- The cookies will be quite puffy when they come out of the oven, however they will deflate and crack. This is normal.
- If the glaze thickens while decorating, stir in a few drops of milk to loosen it.
- Don’t glaze warm cookies or the glaze will just melt.
- I buy crushed candy canes at the bulk store, but you can also place unwrapped candy canes in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- You can spoon or drizzle the icing on top of the cookies instead of dipping the tops.
Storage
- Store glazed cookies in a single layer, or with parchment between layers, in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature or one month in the freezer. You can also freeze unglazed cookies in a sealed container and glaze them after thawing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Kelly Neil is a recipe developer, food photographer, and lifelong Nova Scotian building a sense of home and identity through recipes. She lives in her hometown of Dartmouth with her partner, Chris, their daughter, Elodie, and their little dog, Skipper.
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